Recently, when Suriya announced that his upcoming film, Soorarai Pottru will have a direct OTT release on Amazon Prime, he took a lot of people by surprise. It’s the biggest Tamil film since mid-March to opt for a direct digital release, and many believe that more films could follow suit.
In a letter addressed to his fans, Suriya explained why this decision was taken, and why the prevailing conditions aren’t suitable for a theatrical release. The actor also announced that he’s going to donate a substantial amount to Covid-19 frontline workers. Despite all this, the announcement about Soorarai Pottru’s digital release hasn’t gone down well with some prominent people in Tamil film industry.
Tiruppur Subramaniam, a prominent distributor, stated that he’s extremely upset with Suriya’s decision to opt for a digital release. “Producers are going through a tough time and our employees too have been hit hard. But, despite the industry being in dire straits, he hasn’t taken us into consideration. When there is struggle, we should all share the pain. But, this is an attempt to close theatres permanently. I came to know about this decision only after Suriya announced it today. Suriya is only concerned about profit. If he is donating 5 crore to Covid-19 frontline warriors, it’s purely out of guilt. He has ditched theatres that have been a ladder to success. All I can say is that the decision is wrong,” Tiruppur Subramaniam said.
Soorarai Pottru, directed by Sudha Kongara, is slated for release on October 30 on Amazon Prime.